Understanding the inner working of the quark-gluon plasma requires complete and precise jet substructure studies in heavy ion collisions. In this proceeding we discuss the use of quark and gluon jets as independent probes, and how their classification allows us to uncover regions of QCD phase space sensitive to medium dynamics. We introduce the telescoping deconstruction (TD) framework to capture complete jet information and show that TD observables reveal fundamental properties of quark and gluon jets and their modifications in the medium. We draw connections to soft-drop subjet distributions which help illuminate medium-induced jet modifications. The classification is also studied using a physics-motivated, multivariate analysis of jet substructure observables. Moreover, we apply image-recognition techniques by training a deep convolutional neural network on jet images to benchmark classification performances. We find that the quark-gluon discrimination performance worsens in Jewel-simulated heavy ion collisions due to significant soft radiation affecting soft jet substructures. This work suggests a systematic framework for jet studies and facilitates direct comparisons between theoretical calculations and measurements in heavy ion collisions.